The present invention relates to communication networks, and in particular to a system and method for automatically assigning addresses to devices connected on a communication network.
Communication networks allow devices to communicate with one another. Each device has a unique identification or address that allows a controller to associate messages on the network with a particular device. In some applications, such as in communication networks employed on elevators, the controller maintains a mapping that associates each address with physical and/or functional attributes associated with the device. For example, a device on the network may be a hall call button located on a particular floor (physical location) that is responsible for communicating to the controller when a elevator call has been made (function). Typically, the controller is programmed to associate each device with a particular physical location (e.g., floor).
Installation of this type of system is tedious, as a technician must assign a unique physical address to each device and map each assigned physical address to a physical location at which the device will be installed. Testing is similarly tedious, as it requires a technician to visit each floor to ensure that activating the call button on that floor results in the controller sending the elevator cab to the correct floor.